Paper Excellence’s ties to controversial Indonesian forestry giant could hinder Canadian expansion

By James Griffiths
The Globe and Mail
March 13, 2023
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, International

Jackson Widjaja doesn’t want to talk about the family business. …He has no connections to the company that made the clan’s fortune: Asia Pulp & Paper. Like that company, Jackson’s Richmond, B.C.-headquartered Paper Excellence Group has built itself into a regional pulp and paper giant, acquiring mills and smaller companies across Canada. But, his representatives say, blood is the only connection between the corporate entities. …Reporting by The Globe [et al] …suggests that Paper Excellence’s ties to APP/Sinar Mas go beyond the fact that the latter companies are run by Jackson’s father, Teguh Ganda Widjaja. …According to FSC’s database, numerous Paper Excellence sites are certified. This is in stark contrast to APP, from which the FSC disassociated in 2007 , citing “substantial, publicly available information that APP was involved in destructive forestry practices.” . …While APP has been trying to get recertified ever since, negotiations have stalled over requests for greater transparency into APP’s corporate structure. [to access the full story a Globe and Mail subscription is required]

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